Living Hathaway Ever After
by Muffinzelda
Summary: Robbie and Laura bond while taking care of their ailing son. What son? The tall awkward one, of course. James may have left policing behind, but he is stuck with Robbie and Laura!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This story is for fan purposes only. The characters are property of their respective owners (not me!) and are used here without permission. Enjoy!

* * *

There was no explanation, just a mysterious SMS: _clear your schedule i'm picking you up in 15 minutes_. As much as Dr Laura Hobson loved it when recently retired Inspector Robbie Lewis whisked her away from the mortuary for lunch or coffee, the onus of her overwhelming caseload made her silently curse when she read the SMS. She texted back: _sorry, can't. swamped with work._ When minutes passed and she did not receive a response from Lewis, she assumed that he was either en route or miffed that she'd put him off. In case it was the latter, she texted again: _i'll make it up to you tonight, i promise! _Still no response. It was only then that she realized that something might be wrong, but she dismissed the thought. _Robbie doesn't usually text anyway,_ she said to herself.

Lewis soon barged into her office, took her coat off the hook behind the door and held it out to her. "C'mon, Laura. Let's go."

"I can't leave when I have several Chief Supers breathing down my neck clamoring for their reports. I swear they're vying for…" Hobson was cut off by an urgent Lewis.

"James is sick. Says he thinks he's dying and doesn't know who else to call."

"999?" Dr Hobson was wholly unfazed by medical drama.

"Laura!"

"What do you want me to say, Robbie? I can't tell everyone in the lab I've got a call out. They'd know it's a lie. They'll think we're sneaking out to lunch again."

"Tell them the kid is sick. That's what people say when they have to leave work suddenly and most of the time it's probably true."

"Except that sounds highly implausible coming from me because they all know I have no kids."

"Right. But surely you're entitled to a family emergency."

"Again, Robbie, I'm the first one they call to cover a shift because they know I don't have a family and I work every holiday so that they can be with theirs. Sorry, that sounds bitter. I don't begrudge them, really. It just is what it is. Oh sod them all. They owe me." What that, Hobson went into the lab and told someone to cover for her.

When they arrived at Hathaway's modest flat, Lewis walked through the unlocked door without ringing the bell. "James!" He called out. Hobson followed him in. Together, they made a bee-line for the couch where Hathaway was sprawled out wearing only an undershirt and boxer shorts. Lewis started talking to Hathaway and lightly batting at his face. "He's got a fever and his pulse is quick, Laura." He applied pressure to Hathaway's abdomen, and though non-verbal, Hathaway groaned and recoiled in pain. "Prob'ly his appendix."

"Shove over, Robbie; I'm the doctor. Call 999." Hobson took Lewis' spot on the couch next to Hathaway and began poking and prodding as well. "James, are you with me?"

Hathaway opened his glassy eyes that seemed to have trouble focusing. "Mum?"

"No, it's Laura Hobson. Robbie's here too."

"Hobson." He cringed. "Oh God, I'm a corpse."

"You're not a corpse, so you can at least pretend to be happy to see me. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"I found a lump. Hurts a lot. I thought it was a hernia. Nothing serious, they said. Doctor said to rest and not move around a lot. Said to come in on Monday. Then I got a fever and I took something but it didn't help. Pain's getting worse."

"Where's the lump? Show me."

"No. It's embarrassing." He indicated where by hovering his hand over the affected area. The ever-clinical Dr Hobson never understood why people got embarrassed about anatomy.

She turned around. "Robbie, he's probably dehydrated as well; go get us some water. " Lewis complied and Hobson turned back to Hathaway. "You might recall that I'm very familiar with human anatomy, so you can't show me anything embarrassing. It's just science really. Show me the lump so I can help."

He complied hesitantly. She looked and thought for a moment. "Nasty abscess, I'd say. Needs to be drained before the infection enters the bloodstream. It most likely already has. Hospital, James."

Lewis came back out with some water. He helped Hathaway drink as they waited for the ambulance. When Hathaway had control of the glass, Lewis stood up and took Hobson aside. He didn't have to say anything to her; just the look in his eyes was enough was enough to ask the question he didn't want to verbalize. Lewis loved knowing that he didn't have to ask, she just knew.

"Not his appendix, Robbie. It's an abscess. Simple to drain, but his symptoms are consistent with sepsis which complicates things. I think we caught it in time, Robbie, but no promises." She put her arms around him comfortingly, and he held her tightly for a moment before they both went back to Hathaway.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that night, Robbie and Laura were still holding hands nervously in James' hospital room even though the doctor had assured them that James had an excellent prognosis. The abscess had been appropriately drained and cleansed, and the sepsis could be effectively treated with intravenous antibiotics. James was weak, but he would recover.

Laura needed to get some sleep as she had to be up early the next day for work; she owed old Angus Rawbone a favour or two. Robbie, however, decided to stay with James. With James asleep, Robbie and Laura shared an affectionate goodbye. He continued to hold on to her hand after they broke apart from their kiss. "Laura, thank you for coming with me today. I know I don't say it enough, but I love you. Days like today remind me that I don't want to do this alone."

"I love you too, Robbie, and we're in this together, come what may."

He kissed her again, and a nurse walked in. Robbie and Laura broke apart. Turning to the nurse, he cleared his throat and said, "We'll give you some space to do your job, miss. Hard work, nursing. Me daughter's a nurse in Manchester, about your age I'd guess."

"Is she, now? Thanks, sir." The nurse responded. Laura woke James and kissed him goodnight on the forehead before she headed to the door.

"Come on, love, I'll walk you to your car." Robbie put his arm around Laura, and the nurse smiled as she watched them leave the hospital room together.

The nurse told a sleepy James that she was there to clean and re-pack his wound. He was quite embarrassed having such a comely attendant, but he spied the wedding ring on her finger and decided that made her safe. James was always a bit awkward with the ladies, and somehow knowing that a woman was "off the market" meant that he could relax. He heard his internal Hobson (or possibly the host of BBC Women's Hour) criticize him that he shouldn't think of women as objects for sale at a marketplace… but it was just a metaphor in James' fertile imagination.

"How're you feeling, Mr Hathaway?"

"Knackered, and it's James." The nurse introduced herself as Krystal. At that moment, there was a commotion in the hallway. Krystal went to investigate but returned momentarily closing the door behind her. James was too groggy to understand what was going on, but there was much shouting and urgent action; it reminded him of the deadly situations he had faced as a police officer. Krystal could tell he was getting agitated.

"It's all right, James. My colleagues have it under control."

"It's just… I used to be a policeman."

"Used to be?"

"I couldn't deal with it anymore. I used to think people were fundamentally good, and then somehow I ended up seeing the worst in humanity time and time again. I had to leave." He paused. "How do you deal with it? Seeing so much trauma, I mean. And you still seem happy."

"Come now, James, you are far too young to be so cynical. Your life can't be that bad. I just met your parents. They're really nice and they care about you a lot. They seem very happy together too. You don't always see that in older couples. Commitment yes, but passion? That's more rare."

James laughed then recoiled in pain.

"What is it?"

"They're not my parents. They're not even married, actually. Inspector Lewis was my governor when I was a sergeant. And his best-work-mate-turned-girlfriend is the forensic pathologist."

"So, you left a horrible job but managed to keep some wonderful friends. Sounds like you got something positive out of policing after all."

* * *

The nurse Krystal happened to be back in the room the next morning when Laura came back with a change of clothes for Robbie and some reading material for James. "Hi mum," James greeted her, his chipper tone indicating that he was feeling better. Laura looked confused.

"Oh God, James, do I look old enough to be your mother?"

Krystal explained, "Sorry, my fault. Last night I mistook you for James' parents."

"That's what you get for dating a pensioner!" James quipped.

Robbie indicated Laura as he mock-whispered to Krystal. "Nah, she was a teen mum. Precocious lass, our Laura."

"James won't be the only one in hospital when I beat you senseless, Robbie Lewis!" She mock-throttled him with a copy of the _Nightkeeper_ that she'd brought for James.

Robbie took the book from Laura's hands and began to flip through. "What's this? Depressing! What kind of a mum are you, Laura, letting the lad read a comic book about serial killers and vigilante justice when he needs something to help him take his mind off his troubles?"

"I thought perhaps I'd let his father bring him the latest issue of _Loaded_."

"Mum, dad, don't fight. Remember what's important: the _Nightkeeper_ is a graphic novel, not a comic book!"

Laura and Robbie turned to look at James and all three started to laugh, which they all needed after the last day. Krystal decided that it was time for her to move on to the next patient.

Laura sat with James for a spell while Robbie went to freshen up. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better. Robbie and I have been talking, and when you're released from hospital, we think it best that you come back to my house for a few days to recuperate. You shouldn't be on your own, and I have more room than either your flat or Robbie's."

James considered Laura to be a friend, but he was overwhelmed by her generosity. "Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother."

"Nonsense, James." Laura responded. "You're always welcome. Mind you, no son of mine would go to Cambridge! But it would put Robbie's mind at ease if we could keep an eye on you over at the house. You know how he gets."

James smiled. "Yeah, I do. Thank you, Laura; I think."

When Robbie finally came back into James' hospital room, Laura noted that it had taken him an awfully long time. "Sorry, love, I ran into… someone."

"I know that look; that's your charming devil look! Should I be jealous?"

"Nah. But you are going to be late for work if you don't get a move on. I'll explain everything as I walk you out. Be back in a few, James."

James watched as his two dearest friends left arm in arm. He marvelled at how tough-as-nails-Hobson and the fossilized curmudgeon Lewis had somehow rounded off each other's edges. Lewis had been trapped for years in the depths of his own memory. If Hobson could entice Lewis to rejoin the land of the living, maybe there was hope for Hathaway too.


	3. Chapter 3

And so it was that James went home with Laura, and Robbie moved in too. The nurse Krystal had shown James how to clean and re-pack his wound before he left hospital, but the ever meticulous Dr Hobson wanted to be sure. The uninhibited pathologist was not used to her patients resisting and just went to pull down his clothing as if it were nothing.

James squirmed away from her grasp.

"Come on, James. I'm a doctor, and besides, I've already seen the affected area- remember, before you went to hospital. So there's no need to be embarrassed."

"I took care of it!"

"Stop squirming, James! You'll rip your stitches. I won't hurt you; I just need to see that you've done it properly!"

Robbie heard the commotion and came into the room.

"No!" James cried. As he tried to shield himself from Laura, he swung wildly and hit her in the face. When he saw what he had done, he began to cry repetitively "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…"

"No, James. I'm the one who should apologize. I should have listened to you." Laura said as she retreated from the room.

"Are you all right? Your lip…" whispered Robbie as she was leaving.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. See to him, Robbie."

Robbie sat down in the chair near James' bed where the younger man had buried himself under the pillows. "It's all right lad. Laura didn't mean any harm. She can be… intense… sometimes."

"Please, sir. Leave me alone."

"I don't know what sir you're talking to. I'm Robbie."

"I just need a few minutes, Robbie. Please."

"I'll go if you promise to take the pillows off your head." James complied. "All right, lad. We'll be in to check on you in a little while."

Robbie then went to the bathroom where Laura was dabbing at her bloody lip. "Laura, we need to talk," he said ominously.

She mistook his grave tone for reprobation. "I'm sorry, Robbie. I crossed the line with James and I shouldn't have. It's my fault."

He held up his hand to silence her. "No, love. You were just trying to help." He sighed before continuing. "You told me once that James should see a counselor, but I said he was fine. You scolded me saying that boys never let anyone in. You were right."

"What are you talking about, Robbie?"

"Do you remember the case at Crevecoeur Hall, where James grew up?"

"Of course."

"Not all of the victims of that case were corpses. Do you know how it played out in the end?"

"The butler did it, right?"

"Yes, but we also arrested the lord of the manor, Augustus Mortmaigne. For… pedophilia. Kids on the estate, you see..."

"Oh God!" Laura had no idea. "Not our James!"

"I don't know for certain, Laura; though it surely marred his youth, whether or not he was directly affected."

Laura found herself tearing up as she absorbed the knowledge of James' tragic upbringing.

* * *

A half hour later, Laura knocked before entering James' room. "Tea time, James; is it all right for me to come in?" James indicated it was. "I'm so sorry, James. I'm not used to live patients. Usually my corpses don't fight back, you see. I'd be the first one killed in a zombie apocalypse, I guess."

James did manage a smile at her joke. "I hope I didn't hurt you. You've been so good to me after all."

"It's OK, James. I want to tell you something." She stopped and took a deep breath. She lowered her voice and spoke slowly. "There was a time when I thought I was going to die. They broke into my house grabbed me; I was bound and gagged and thrown into a grave. When you jumped in to that grave, I struggled against you because I thought you were another attacker. But you kept repeating that I was safe and held me. So, I am not trying to mother-hen you. I just want to be the friend that you were to me. And if that manifests itself as some over-zealous doctoring, I'm sorry."

Robbie peeked in cautiously, and then joined them with James' tea on a tray. "We're both here for you, lad." Laura tussled James' hair as Robbie set the tray down.

"For the record, Laura, I think you would have been a good mum; but you're an even greater friend."

"Glad to hear it because I never wanted kids."

"I never wanted parents," was James' response.

Robbie grinned at the two of them, "I liked having both. And now you're both stuck with me!"


	4. Chapter 4

Laura was becoming accustomed to having a full house. She came home from work to find Robbie prepping dinner with a cricket game on the telly and James strumming his guitar in his room. He planned to go back to his flat in the morning. He was cleared to return to work on Monday and had a gig planned for Saturday night with his jazz trio. "The house will seem so empty when he goes, Robbie!"

Robbie laughed at her. "You never had a problem with an empty nest before, Laura. We can't keep him here forever."

Laura looked at him seriously. "There is someone, however, whom I'd like to keep forever. I've been thinking, Robbie. Maybe it's time to consider moving in together. When the let on your flat is up, I mean."

Robbie was elated. "Really, love? I know how much you like your space and all."

"Really, Robbie. I want to live with you for the rest of my days. I'm sure of it."

"Same here," he said, and kissed her.

Oddly enough, no sooner did Robbie and Laura decide to move in together when they got into a disagreement about their plans for Saturday night.

James could overhear them and recalled when his actual parents were fighting all those years ago at Crevecoeur. James' mum suspected something wasn't right with Lord Mortmaigne and James' dad refused to believe it. A bitter row ensued. In the here and now, Robbie and Laura weren't really having a row, but James knew they were definitely talking about him.

"He's a grown adult, Robbie. He has to do these things on his own."

"He needs someone in his life, Laura!"

"That's the last thing any single person wants to hear!"

"That's exactly why it's up to us to do something."

"Not everyone needs to be coupled off, Robbie. James is fine."

"You know he's not, Laura."

"Remember how angry you said he was when you forced him into Innocent's office to talk about a promotion? You never learn! You've got to talk to him first."

"Talk to me about what?" James asked as he came into the kitchen.

"Erm…"

"Tell him, Robbie."

"Several days ago, when you were in hospital, I ran into somebody…" And Robbie began to explain his mysterious encounter at the hospital.

* * *

Robbie had just changed clothes at the hospital when it dawned on him that a young brunette with a rash was following him with her eyes. As she approached him, he struggled to associate a name with the face.

"Excuse me. Aren't you the inspector who works with Sergeant Hathaway?"

"Indeed. Inspector Lewis, at your service. And you are…?"

"Liv Nash. I work at the Botanic Gardens. There was a murder in the arid house a few years back."

"Of course!" Now he remembered James bowing to her in the garden. "Our James- Sergeant Hathaway, that is- was quite fond of you as I recall." She began to blush, though Robbie didn't really notice any change in her color as she was suffering from quite an outbreak of something. "Say, are you all right, lass?"

"I will be. Nasty run in with some giant hogweed. I thought I had the rash under control, but I woke up this morning and it was all over. A good dose of steroids to boost the antihistamine and I should be good as new. Or less itchy at least, possibly still horribly disfigured." Robbie appreciated her self-deprecating humor and smiled warmly. His smile encouraged her to muster up the courage to ask… "What is Sergeant Hathaway up to these days?"

"James is doing well. He's here, actually, just had a minor procedure. But he's fine, really. Should be going home tomorrow, I think." (Back in Laura's kitchen, James breathed a sigh of relief that Robbie had spared all the embarrassing details.) "Say, why don't you come back to his room with me; I'm sure he'd appreciate a visitor."

"Oh no, I can't let him see me like this, and I don't want to expose him to my rash. But please tell him I wish him a speedy recovery. Can I ask you… does Hathaway… James, I mean… does he have… well, does he have anyone to look in on him when he goes home?"

Her voice was full of concern, but it was her awkward tone that made Robbie realise that Liv and James would be quite the pair of clever clogs. "Yeah, he's going home with a friend. It's Dr. Hobson, actually. The pathologist on the Hawes case. I think you met her."

"Oh yes, she's… she's… ?" _She's beautiful and all business,_ Liv thought.

"She's my girlfriend." Robbie said a bit possessively, as he could tell that he had confused Liv. "We'll be looking after him together."

"Oh! Good! That's very kind of you." Liv seemed relieved.

The wheels in Robbie's mind were turning. "You should come over and have dinner with us and James one night, when you both are feeling better."

"I'd like that!" Robbie and Liv exchanged numbers before parting company.

* * *

Back in Laura's kitchen, James was listening incredulously. Laura picked up the narrative.

"And then this morning, Robbie rang Liv and invited her to hear your jazz trio with us tomorrow night."

"What?! Why didn't you tell me, sir?"

"It's Robbie now."

"It's 'sir' when I'm angry!"

"Because I teased you mercilessly about bowing to her for weeks and nothing came of it, just like you taunted me for years about Laura but I was too thick to do anything. So I didn't think it would help if I just casually mentioned it."

"So you decided to set me up?"

"I wanted to make sure the conditions are right. So I invited her to go to your concert with Laura and me on Saturday. Except instead of finding that to be romantic, Laura got mad that I'm meddling in your life."

"You should listen to her more often."

Robbie ignored Laura's satisfied grin and asked, "So what do you want me to do, James? It'd be a shame to cancel on such a bonny lass. And she said she had no plans Saturday, was looking forward to seeing you and all."

"Let me get this straight. Liv Nash the botanist is just going to come to hear me play and I'll come over between sets to make small talk? Music is a form of spirituality to me; it's not about chatting up birds. It's not the bloody Midnight Addiction, you know!"

Laura tried- and failed- to stifle her giggle at the reference to the popular band of Robbie's youth. "Maybe we could invite Liv to dinner instead." She suggested.

"I have to set up and rehearse before we perform tomorrow night."

"So, I'll see if she's free for lunch then." Robbie was not going to let James wriggle out of this.

James glared at Robbie for a long time before capitulating. "Fine. Make the call, Robbie."

He pulled out his phone, pushed some buttons, then waited. To James, it seemed like an eternity before Robbie spoke. "Hello, Liv? Robbie Lewis here…"


	5. Chapter 5

James nervously pulled out the chair from the table on Laura's patio for Liv to sit down. "Thank you, James." Liv was feeling a bit self-conscious herself as she looked at the man she regarded as a latin-quoting Adonis, knowing that her own skin was still marked by the vestiges of blisters. James did not notice, however.

Laura pulled Robbie back into the kitchen to finish making the salad, giving Liv and James time to be reacquainted. For all his quick-wit and brains, James just stared at her, tongue-tied.

"So, Robbie tells me you're not with the police anymore."

"No, I'm not." He stuttered a little bit before explaining. "I'm a mental health counsellor now. Mostly working with people who have been victims of abuse or other trauma. Not very glamorous I'm afraid. Laura's after me to go back to uni to become a psychiatrist."

"What do _you_ think of that?"

"I'd love to be the perpetual student, but I don't know that being a doctor is the life for me either. What I do now suits me. It always used to bother me, as a detective- asking questions, looking for answers, but never really listening to the people. I listen now. I still have to dig for the truth; and sometimes, I have to admit, my clients are manipulative liars- particularly when substance abuse is involved- but all I need to do is listen and help them sort it all out. Not at all like when I was a policeman. Like I said, not very glamorous, but it'll do."

"Well, you needn't worry about glamour with me. I'm covered in dirt most of the time, if not blisters. And besides, I don't think you give yourself enough credit. I recall you were very kind to me, even when you were asking for my alibi! What made you decide to give it up?"

James smiled at her. "I was miserable, and being a detective was the only thing in my life. Robbie was much the same: a miserable and single-minded detective. We were a good team. But it was different for him; he wasn't miserable because of the police work itself but rather because he'd lost his wife in a car accident and their kids were grown. For Robbie, being a detective was his stability; it kept him going. It was the opposite for me; police work was my undoing. I needed to make a change or else I would have gone mad."

"I had no idea about Robbie. He and Laura seem so happy!"

"They are, but it took Robbie more than a decade to grieve and make room in his heart for Laura. They're lucky to have each other. It's rare to find someone else who can understand all the horrible things that they have to live with as homicide investigators."

"Have you found a source of stability now, James?"

"Music, I suppose." He decided not to tell her straight off that he'd returned to the fold of the Catholic Church, though his renewed faith gave him his strength. There would be a time for that if it was meant to be. His limited experience with women indicated that ladies tended to run the other way when they found out he'd once planned to become a priest. Still, he had a feeling that Liv would be different.

"I'd like to hear you play sometime, but Robbie tells me you're a little shy. I understand that."

"I… erm… I'm playing tonight actually."

"Yeah, Robbie might have mentioned that on the phone…"

"Liv, if you want to come… we're playing at a café on the High at 8. You don't have to, though. I mean, only come if you really want to, not just to be nice or just because you're sort of curious. It would mean a lot to me. Think about it, Liv."

"I will."

"Think about it or come to my gig?"

"You'll have to wait and see!"

Robbie and Laura joined them then on the patio with trays of salad and sandwiches.

* * *

The lights shone brightly on the performers though the café was dark. James was playing his guitar, feeling the rhythm, listening to his bandmates and matching them beat for beat. He was completely immersed in doing what he loved, but it did not escape his attention that a beauteous brunette had entered the café and stood in the back for a while. Blinded by the spotlight, James couldn't be sure that it was Liv. He'd never seen her without her hair in a ponytail; tonight she let it cascade over her shoulders. James felt his heart soar when his lady fair made her way to the table where Robbie and Laura were seated and took her place alongside them- a place at the table, but also a place in James' heart. She greeted Robbie and Laura and removed her coat. It looked like Liv Nash was going to stay for a while.

(And they all lived Hathaway ever after!)


End file.
